Religion Blog

DETROIT — The Presbyterian Church (USA) voted at its general assembly yesterday to change its
constitution’s definition of marriage from “a man and a woman” to “two people,” and to allow its
ministers to perform same-sex marriages in states where it is legal.

Both measures, passed by large majorities, are a reversal for a church that barred its pastors
from performing same-sex marriages in 1991 and again in 2008.

The vote giving discretion to ministers to marry gay couples takes effect on Sunday, at the
close of the general assembly.

But changing the definition of marriage in the church’s Book of Order still would have to be
ratified by a majority of the church’s 172 regions, or presbyteries — a yearlong process.

At the assembly here, the measure passed overwhelmingly — 71 percent to 29 percent — but only
after an amendment that altered the new language from “two people” to “two people, traditionally a
man and a woman,” a nod to conservatives who would otherwise have voted against it.

The votes delighted observers and participants who have been pushing for gay equality.

“There is such a sense of growth and mutual respect across the theological spectrum,” said Alex
McNeill, the executive director of More Light Presbyterians, a group advocating gay equality in the
church. But it deeply pained conservative Presbyterian commissioners, who warned that congregations
that have been on the brink of departure would leave.

“My heart breaks,” said the Rev. Steve Wilkins, representing the New Harmony Presbytery in South
Carolina, during the debate. “I don’t think it’s up to us to change the definition of marriage; in
fact, marriage has been defined by us and revealed to us in God’s word.”

About 350 of the denomination’s congregations have left since 2010, when the Presbyterians’
general assembly voted to ordain openly gay clergy members, said the Rev. Gradye Parsons, the
church’s stated clerk, in an interview. But it is still the nation’s largest Presbyterian
denomination, with 10,038 churches in 2013 and about 1.8 million members.

On the measure to allow the clergy to perform same-sex marriages, the vote of the 565
commissioners was 61 percent in favor, and 39 percent opposed.